395.  Sankhalikhitam, i.e., that which is written on the forehead by the Ordainer.

396.  Literally, “cause to be removed.”

397.  The army and the criminal courts.

398.  The commentator explains it in the following way.  The ordinary texts, without exceptions of any kind, laid down for seasons of distress, permit a king to fill his treasury by levying heavy contributions on both his own subjects and those of hostile kingdoms.  An ordinary king, at such a time, acts in this way.  A king, however, that is endued with intelligence, while levying such contributions, takes care to levy them upon those that are wicked and punishable among his own subjects and among the subjects of other kingdoms, and refrains from molesting the good.  Compare the conduct of Warren Hastings in exacting a heavy tribute, when his own treasury was empty, from Cheyt Singh, whose unfriendliness for the British power was a matter of notoriety.

399.  The sense seems to be that there are persons who hold that priests and Brahmanas should never be punished or taxed.  This is the eternal usage, and, therefore, this is morality.  Others who approve of the conduct of Sankha towards his brother Likhita on the occasion of the latter’s appropriating a few fruits belonging to the former, are of a different opinion.  The latter class of persons Bhishma says, are as sincere as the former in their opinion.  They cannot be blamed for holding that even priests and Brahmanas may be punished when offending.

400.  Duty depending on all the four foundations, i.e., as laid down in the Vedas; as laid down in the Smritis; as sanctioned by ancient usages and customs; and as approved by the heart or one’s own conscience.

401. i.e., yield with ease.

402.  Grammatically, the last line may mean,—­’The very robbers dread a king destitute of compassion.’

403.  Their wives and children ought to be saved, and their habitations and wearing apparel and domestic utensils, etc., should not be destroyed.

404. i.e., ‘he that has wealth and forces.’

405.  The sense seems to be that a poor man can have only a little of all earthly things.  That little, however, is like the remnant of a strong man’s dinner.

406.  It is always reproachful to accept gifts from persons of questionable character.

407.  The king should similarly, by punishing the wicked, cherish the good.

408.  The sense seems to be that sacrifice proceeds more from an internal desire than from a large sum of money lying in the treasury.  If the desire exists, money comes gradually for accomplishing it.  The force of the simile consists in the fact that ants (probably white ants) are seen to gather and multiply from no ostensible cause.

409.  The meaning is that as regards good men, they become friends in no time.  By taking only seven steps in a walk together, two such men become friends.